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RICHMOND
The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band's concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up.
Fort Eustis spokesman Rick Haverinen told The Associated Press he couldn't comment on the specifics of the investigation. At the Pentagon, Army spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said the military shouldn't impose religious views on soldiers.
"If something like that were to have happened, it would be contrary to Army policy," Collins said.
Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army's Transportation Corps.
"My whole issue was I don't need to be preached at," Smith said in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he is stationed with the National Guard. "That's not what I signed up for."
Smith, 21, was stationed in Virginia for nearly seven months for helicopter electrician training when the Christian rock group BarlowGirl played as part of the "Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts."
Smith said a staff sergeant told 200 men in their barracks they could either attend or remain in their barracks. Eighty to 100 decided not to attend, he said.
"Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down," Smith said. "It seemed very much like a punishment."
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation first reported on the Christian concert. The foundation said it was approached by soldiers who were punished for not attending or offended by the religious theme of the event.
The group's president, Mikey Weinstein, claims Christian-themed events are "ubiquitous" throughout the military, and he credited the soldiers for stepping forward.
"Whenever we see this egregious, unconstitutional religious tyranny our job is to fight it," he said.
Smith said he and the other soldiers were told not to use their cell phones or personal computers and ordered to clean up the barracks.
About 20 of the men, including several Muslims, refused to attend the concert based on their religious beliefs, he said.
Smith said he went up the chain of command and traced the concert edict to a captain, who said he simply wanted to "show support for those kind of events that bring soldiers together."
While not accepting blame, the officer apologized to the soldiers who refused to attend the concert and said it was not his intent to proselytize, he said.
"But once you get in there, you realize it's evangelization," Smith said.
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What Did Our Founding Fathers Believe?
Before we jump to the defense of those who supposedly were left to stay in their rooms at Fort Eustis, let's take a look at what our Founding Fathers really believed about Christianity. Is this a country that was founded on no religion? What would happen today if our President were to say what General George Washington said back then?
"The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger--The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country."
- George Washington - General Orders - July 9, 1776"
According to this quote, Washington wanted his soldiers to be Christian and to act accordingly. That is why he was the one responsible for creating the position of chaplain in the military.
The biggest mistake we as a nation can make is to turn our backs on the original intentions of our Founding Fathers and to neglect that wisdom. Christian was not and is not a curse. It is a religion based on good, moral, and ethical behavior. It's a religion that says we should love our neighb
"Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts."
Hit the deck and give me 50 Hail Marys'.
Heh.
Funny. But actually, some Catholics were among those who refused and were punished. Fundamentalists are often VERY anti-Catholic, and are a minority of Christians.
Heads should roll over this.
You are absolutely correct
Now drop down and give me 50 praise the lords.
Rename the paper . . .
Shall we call it the Virginian-Innuendo? Are we now going to write an article on every disgruntled employee group that claims management did them wrong? Or just the military ones? Remember, we only have one side of this story and no independent corroboration yet. Journalism 101.
There is zero evidence
that the story is factually inaccurate. Blaming the V-P is simply a dodge to avoid discussing (or thinking about) the real issue - the U.S. Military must be purged of those who would use public resources or the power of coercion to promote Christianity or any other religion.
And besides that...
It also seems inappropriate for the Commanding General to host a religious concert anyway, isn't it?
participate or not to partcipate
What if the command function had been a Yanni or John Tesh concert? The command was expected to go and listen to the wonderful and if they didn't go to the command function concert they would not expect to be REWARDED with time off.
Suppose Bank of America presented its local employees with a four hour concert of 2 Live Crew during business hours. If you don't go then you have to work. What's the problem with expecting participation with a company or command function and if you don't then you continue doing what you would have done?
There was NO punishment from the command expecting the soldiers that did not attend by making them work during NORMAL business hours. If you go to a FREE meal and are served asparagus, you don't have to eat the asparagus. If the command function had been attending the viewing of An Inconvenient Truth and you don't believe in man made global warming so you don't attend - should you continue to work during regular business hours?
BarlowGirl
Isn't THAT cruel and unusual punishment?
What is this Guantanamo?
if..
the concert was after hours, then there is a problem with the group being told to cleam up the barracks and not be allowed to go about their normal off time activities. If it was during normal working hours, well that is a different story.